Paris 3 Day Itinerary

Bonjour, It can be overwhelming to figure out what to see in Paris and in what order. You want to see the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triumph, Catacombs, and even shop. How do you do it all and which sights should you see each day to save some steps and not be completely exhausted after the first day?

Here are my recommendations and the routes we took while visiting Paris.

Day 1: Eiffel Tower & MuseuMS

1. Head out from your hotel and walk down Champs Elysees, I used our hotel location of Monsieur George.

2. Head to breakfast at a local cafe where you will not find tourists Cafe La Belle Ferronniere.

3. Before you head over to the Eiffel Tower make sure to stop and get a couple of iconic pics.

   1. As you head over the bridge across the Seine, grab that iconic IG shot.

   2. TIP* there is a hidden spot that Dave found. Walk to Chez Ming and head down the side street to the left. You can get some great shots without fighting the tourists.

4. Then walk to Eiffel Tower (make sure you have reserved your ticket ahead of time & you have a Summit add-on. Grab an early appointment (the first appointments are at 9 am).

5. Take a nice walk to the Tomb of Napoleon which also has the Army Museum and is next to the Rodin Museum of Art. Don't forget to look back and grab any additional shots or selfies you want of the Eiffel Tower along the way.

   1. Afterward, grab a cheese and breadboard with a glass of wine at a cafe.

6. Walk over to River Seine and see the sights from the river.

Day 2 - Louvre& Shopping

Because you should grab an early ticket appointment to the Louvre, as the lines tend to get long to get through security as well as viewing of the Mona Lisa. I recommend leaving early and grabbing a taxi or taking the train to get here.

1. Grab breakfast. If it's a beautiful morning, I recommend eating outside on the grounds of the Louvre at Cafe Marly. The restaurant opens at 8 am and the Louvre opens at 9 am most days (it is closed on Tuesdays) Arrive first thing to grab a seat and book your museum tickets for 9:30 am. If the weather looks iffy, then grab a 9 am entry ticket to the museum and walk around a bit and then go eat breakfast upstairs at Angelina's. They have window views of the grounds. We ate there and we very much enjoyed our meal and experience. Angelina's is by Napoleon's apartment.

   1. Check out this post

2. Walk out the first entrance of the Louvre (not thru the gardens) and head across the river to Saint Germain street. Put Ralph Lauren in your google maps for directions. Stop by there for a cocktail. They have a wonderful quiet area to sit in that is hidden and most tourists are not aware of it.

3. Next walk to Louis Vuitton or any other luxury shopping you are interested in. Saint Germain is a luxury shopping street that also has local shops and art stores. Check out this post to read more about why this is the best LV location in Paris.

4. Head to the Cafe de Flore which is right next to LV store. This is the most IG spot in Paris. Grab a cafe table on the street (you will have to wait, we waited about 10 min in Oct). People watch, and have a coffee or glass of wine, and a cheese plate.

Tip there is a Crepe cart on this same street for the ultimate Paris experience.

5. Head to CityPharma and grab your face creams and products. CityPharma is the most helpful and has the best stock. Make sure to bring your Passport so you can get the tax deduction at check out. Then across the street, you will find Pierre Herman, a delicious chocolatier.

Go rest and then grab your dinner reservation. You had a busy day in Paris.

Day 3: - Exploring the city Parks

1. Head to the Catacombs, make sure you secure a ticket ahead of your arrival and I book this one before you leave for Paris. They do sell out and it's almost impossible to get the day of arrival.

2. Walk down the street Rue Daguerre for a local market. Grab gelato or a pastry and just walk in and out of the shops. Most of the shop owners speak enough English to help you with your order.

3. Walk about 1 and 1/2 miles to Luxembourg Gardens. Bring your coffee and pastry and grab a bench. You will find more locals than tourists here and plan to spend time, the gardens are huge and lovely.

If you do not wish to walk the next part then, take the train or grab a taxi to the next spot honestly, the taxis do not just hang around this area, so we waited for about 15. min and did not see one and then summoned an Uber.

Continue Day 3: Garden Day

1. Leave Luxembourg Gardens, if you can, and head to Breizh Cafe for an unbelievable crepe. (try the strawberry rhubarb that is made with fresh jam) O My Word!

2. Next, walk off your crepe and head across the river back to the Louvre and walk thru the gardens on property. Going thru the gardens will lead you to the Tuileries Garden which is BEAUTIFUL! Grab a chair by the fountain and just rest your feet for a bit.

3. Then head up to Place de la Concorde (up, because you will climb some stairs to get to street level).

4. Head up Ave Champs de Elysees til you hit the shopping area and walk around and do some shopping. Just please, if I can convince you of one thing, do not eat there :).

Other tips*

• Check out my other France posts for other things to do and places to dine at night. I would recommend a restaurant and make reservations. We found even the best restaurants had more reasonable price tags than the U.S.

• If you are walking around the Champs Elysees area, stop by the Four Seasons hotel. It is stunning inside and they have a great open piano bar area you can get appetizers or a cocktail.

These are all suggestions, I have more but I think this is a good start. If you are there for more than 3 days feel free to spread some of this out. Just know it is doable on the days I slotted. If walking is not an option for you, the Paris trains are very safe and easy to get around and you can also grab an uber or cab in most places.

Au Revoir,

Lisa